They say "if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." This certainly pertains here, with giving the man a fish being traditional charity, and teaching a man to fish being micro financing and giving him the infrastructure to become self-sufficient.
In Judaism, there are 8 levels of charity, established by Rambam, or Maimonides. Number one: "The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them to become dependent on others." Though in the case of micro financing, the people are already poor, the goal remains the same. To try and eliminate their dependency on others and establish themselves as successful individuals. Even though I don't believe Jacqueline Novogratz is Jewish, I would be surprised if she has never come across this idea in her quest for wisdom.
In her TED presentation from 2005, she tells the story of a sweater she had as a child that she gave away, and then 11 years later she saw it on a boy in Africa. This made her realize the interconnectedness of the world.
In Judaism, there are 8 levels of charity, established by Rambam, or Maimonides. Number one: "The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them to become dependent on others." Though in the case of micro financing, the people are already poor, the goal remains the same. To try and eliminate their dependency on others and establish themselves as successful individuals. Even though I don't believe Jacqueline Novogratz is Jewish, I would be surprised if she has never come across this idea in her quest for wisdom.
In her TED presentation from 2005, she tells the story of a sweater she had as a child that she gave away, and then 11 years later she saw it on a boy in Africa. This made her realize the interconnectedness of the world.